Hiphop is alive and well! As evidence Mada Atoms delivers the perfect blend of newage and conscious hiphop with new album "Distractions". The freestyle battle veteran shares intimate pieces of his life with 10-tracks of head knocking bangers that give good classic hiphop vibes. Listen as the rising LA mc, Mada, raps his heart out with alot a dope heartfelt joints. Stream "Distractions" today and follow Mada Atoms' growing movement below.
Just like that, it is here. After previously blessing us with their spectacular “Flux Capacitor” drop, Houston’s answer to The Wu-Tang Clan and early Pro Era, The Band of The Hawk, have finally released their “Kangol” project. Completely produced by original BOHUP member, Noah Archangel, and mostly upheld by Yeaux Majesty’s idiosyncratic rhymes, “Kangol” is this Texas collective’s 2019 endowment to the world of lo-fi, underground Hip-Hop. A world wherein they are slowly, but surely, becoming kings. The coronation occurs through a bevy of rap-heavy, boom-bap jams. Between sample-driven instrumentals, skits, and the lyrical ventures of featured BOHUP artists, Yeaux Majesty and Noah Archangel string together an impressively cohesive offering. Bangers, such as “Downtown Friday Nights”, “Bedrock”, “‘19 Mentality”, “Golden Child”, and “All U Need” flow seamlessly down this river of Golden Age musicality. If not for the apparent tracklist, “Kangol” could very much be presented as one, elongated piece of music; and that quality alone makes it superior to every other project released alongside it. In the space and history of lyrical, archaic, underground Hip-Hop, this project could very well become a classic. And The Band of The Hawk, the South’s answer to the legendary, old-school rap crews we hardly go a day without giving praise.
If New Jersey did not have a lyrical prince ready to ascend to their Hip-Hop throne before, they do now. He goes by the name of J-Carter; and with every stroke of his pen this year, the Garden State emcee has proven well-ready for the crown. J-Carter deserves much praise for his grind and indomitable work-ethic on his latest body of work as he gets loaded up to drop 38 new tracks for his new album, “Take Hip-Hop Back”. The beauty of “Take Hip-Hop Back” is that it perfectly encapsulates two generations; two sounds of the New Jersey lifestyle. On one plane, it embodies the lyrical aggression, depth and bravado of the Redmans, Joe Buddens, and Treachs who built upon the foundation for East Coast Hip-Hop. On the other hand, it warmly embraces the sonics of today: boasting 808s, malicious, synth-based melodies, and jarring trap drums. This puts the nine-track opus on the ideal axis of a 2019 Hip-Hop album. It is, essentially, an onslaught of lyrical bangers; that in J-Carter’s own words, “...the people will have no choice but to hear...”.
Staten Island battle rapper, Paul Marz never ceases to amaze! This time its his vivid new TrunkFace directed visuals for 'Death of a Star'. Walk with Paul as he chooses the rough path but ultimately climbs to the mountain top. Follow his Paul Marz' growing movement and read the press release below.
"Paul Marz sounds sharper than ever in his latest introspective video 'Death of a Star' directed by TrunkFace. The Shaolin emcee raps "Bury my ego than resurrect because it's Death of a Star, Rise of Titan". Over the last few years Paul has taken a backseat to the spotlight spending 1000's of hours building up the battle rap scene with childhood friend Lexx Luthor. 'Death of a Star' is his message to the world confirming he would prefer to shine light on the new generation of emcees. This track solidifies his role as humble giant in the rap game."
Asaru just made a horror movie. With the drop of one, swift single, “Open Season”, he has killed the current rap game; and we could do little but watch. Nightmarish pianos, surrounded by crackling vinyl, slide the New York-born’s latest into your speakers. After thirteen seconds of this, rumbling 808s creep into the mix; eventually shoved into a ghostly acapella. Here, Asaru draws his lyrical butcher-knife. Through the initial stab of reckless, trap drums, the Tampa spitter explodes into a rage of rhymes. For the next three minutes, it seems as though he never falls back. Every line is a swift cut; every bar is a clever punch. He bloodies the current rap game by serving both generations: “new” and “old”, with a banger they can equally embrace. Whether you’re a fan of the latest of trap’s greatest, or lyrical ability of our greatest decades ago, Asaru shows us it is “Open Season”. And he will kill until he’s on the top. The single is now available across all digital platforms.
In this culture called Hip-Hop, there is no such thing as death. No matter how many songs you may hear about the slain; nor how many lyrical legends we can name, who have succumbed to the streets they described, each and every one of them lives beyond the grave. From the revolutionary Tupac, The Notorious B.I.G., to the recently departed, yet prolific Nipsey Hussle, music immortalizes their souls; keeping them so close to our hearts that we have to be reminded they ever left. Such is the case with Mac Dre, and even furthermore, his Thizz Entertainment signee, Johnny Ca$h. Twelve years after his Bay Area-shaking murder in Vallejo, California, this West Coast icon’s spirit is alive and well; flowing powerfully through his posthumous masterpiece “IN MY SHOES”. Released just last month, “IN MY SHOES” offers ten tracks that prove precisely why the rapper’s passing was so impactful: he truly was an asset to West Coast Hip-Hop. From the colossal title track “In My Shoes”, the celestial banger “Snatch Ya Plate”, to joints like “Ta Da Bang” (feat. Nef The Pharoah), “This One”, and the dreamy smash “Wave At Em” (feat. Vipete and Rydah J Klyde), this project is irrefutable evidence that Johnny Ca$h was on a road to international stardom. Effortlessly, he flexes lyricism, swagger, and a street-hardened flow; stomping over the crispiest beats last decade could hone. At 25, Johnny Castaneda Jr. was already a master of the art of rap. So much so, that “IN MY SHOES” feels more fiery and poignant than some of our breathing legend’s greatest works. Perhaps, that is because the Richmond rapper himself is now a legend, and this album is his crown. When it comes to this culture called Hip-Hop, Johnny Ca$h never died. So long as we are pressing play, and cherishing his every body of work, the icon lives on.
After wowing us all a while back with their Woah Vada release, “Ghosts In The Machine [Remix]”, Texas’s The Band of the Hawk have returned with another stellar contribution. Gearing up for the unleash of their April 20th album, “Kangol”, the Southern collective offer “Flux Capacitor”: three minutes of abstract, boom-bap bars. The Band’s Noah Archangel and Yeaux Majesty trade a slew of idiosyncratic rhymes over a sampled beat produced by Noah himself. Their flawless handling of the microphone gives “Flux Capacitor” a very East Coast, Golden Era sensation; bolting both artists outside the realm of conventional, Southern Hip-Hop. With such a sparkling, soul-stirring instrumental and broth of eccentric, narrative lyrics, one can not help but feel the influence of MF DOOM, and other ancient, underground legends. Only, The Band of the Hawk prove with “Flux Capacitor” that they have the ability to take their art beyond their predecessors. They are creative; unafraid to challenge the modern sphere of The Lonestar sound, and pave a lane uniquely their own. This fearlessness makes The Band of the Hawk a token we should be vying to protect; and “Kangol” a masterpiece we must anticipate.
“I got the glow!” Despite the vibrant subject of Tef Kaluminoti’s March offering, it may be the most diabolical single of the Spring. His four-and-a-half minute “The Glow” is aggressive and abysmal; pumping with the unstoppable energy of North Carolina. As the first single to his upcoming EP, “AMEN”, this record makes a jaw-dropping declaration. It maneuvers jolting 808s, a rushing melody, and earth-shattering drums and world-splitting rhymes, all to warn that this Rocky Mount rapper should not be ignored. The only thing subtle about “The Glow” is the eerie buzz of an electric guitar that’ll tantalize your headphones about each verse. Otherwise, this track is insanely audacious; with Tef Kaluminoti, and his Juicy J-esque flow and persona, bringing it dangerously full-circle. Keep your ears open for “AMEN” when it drops. If “The Glow” is any indication, we are in for a sinister surprise.
If you were unaware of the city of Opelousas’s existence before, P.A.T. will be damned if you are not enlightened by the end of this record. He, alongside iconic emcee, KXNG Crooked, land on “Soul 4 Real” with the intention of leaving a mark. One that puts this phenomenal lyricist, as well as his Louisiana city, undoubtedly on the map. At least, that is the impression you’ll receive listening to P.A.T. rip through verses on the new-age boom-bap track. He is lyrically relentless on “Soul 4 Real”; spitting bars that hold both introspective and conscious weight. KXNG Crooked takes this angle a step further with his own 16, ridiculing emcees who spend more time rapping about their riches than speaking a heartfelt, beneficial message to their fans. When placed over such a futuristic, electronic melody, pulsating 808s, and dusty Golden Era drums, these verses purely convey that Hip-Hop has indeed been resurrected; and it is taking an evolved, sonic form. “Soul 4 Real” is that illuminating. It shows how easily conscious rap and new-age Hip-Hop can fuse to create an anthemic hit any lover of the culture can stand behind. All thanks to the artistic capacity of P.A.T. With little over three minutes, he proves that he is one of Louisiana’s most gilded upcomers; and Opelousas is clearly a goldmine.
Motor Mouth has perfectly placed nostalgia between electronic synths and boom-bap beats. With three minutes and twenty seconds on the clock, this Hawaii-born, former United States Army soldier casts a light on every Hip-Hop legend whose inspired him thus far. That light refracts into “Back In The Day” featuring Marissa Delmonico. The producer, Darren Vegas contributed instrumental brilliance to this record; guiding it in slowly with a progression of atmospheric synths, frosted by Marissa Delmonico’s enchanting adlibs. Motor Mouth enters just as the muddy bass does, rolling along with the loop of Golden Era drums to a story he spits about his Hip-Hop upbringing. From being “on the courts playing ball with the homies blaring Biggie Smalls” to Eminem blowing his mind with every release, our Los Angeles-based artist displays a vivid love for the culture. This love is so pure and gargantuan that only Marissa’s angelic voice can emulate it. She belts a poppy, yet soulful hook for “Back In The Day”; surging with an identical passion to the track’s creator. On this record, Motor Mouth is golden. You may hear a song full of shoutouts and believe paying homage is the reason this Seattle native excels. That is not the case. It is his ability to tell the story of his upbringing , and be himself entirely, that pays this artform the greatest respect. Continue to honor that; and this emcee will be paid back even sooner.
A soulful, old school beat makes every lyric Lui Vi spits hit ten times harder. By the end of “Let It Go”, he has worked magic over the kiid twan production and stepped that much further down his path to excellence. The Chicago-born/Atlanta-based rapper has released myriad records on his Soundcloud— most racking in tens of thousands of plays— however, “Let It Go” is an evolution in artistry. Albeit, competent with creating hardbody, self-produced bangers, he proves on his latest single that he has even more to offer. “Let It Be” is a pivotal record in that regard. It highlights Lui Vi’s breathtaking potential as an emcee, through a use of narrative rhymes and a charismatic flow that suits his star-studded sonics. Even the hook is wafting with intensity, as Lui Vi can be heard crooning colorfully across the soul-sampled chorus. “Let It Go” has already pulled in seven thousand plays; and if there is any love left for pure, soul-stirring Hip-Hop, he’ll get a million more.
Now, this is some ole G shit! For Valentine's Day, hiphop heavyweight, Figguhlator, says "Dont Hand Me That" fake love. Using his signature deep voice and upper echelon Golden era-esque delivery, Big Figg properly addresses bitches and bitch niccas, alike. "Dont Hand Me That" is a certified anthem for the haters to hate even harder!!! Born in Miami-Dade County and raised in Deerfield Beach Florida, "Figguhlator" is Atlanta's rising Trap music MotherFunker. Follow his growing movement today.